Seven months later, and “Just Dance” is a regular player in my shuffle. The surprising veritable revolt Lady Gaga seemed to have staged in my tastes I tend to attribute to changing seasons, however I also by chance stumbled across another one of her songs (during a YouTube binge) entitled “Beautiful, Dirty, Rich” and it was a moment of revelation.

It was all a mockery.

The satire was so incredibly well done that I had at first completely missed it, although I imagine that only a few outside of her DJ circle would have caught it on first listen (I like to tell myself). She wasn’t just another Britney or Christina parading around (although she most certainly does parade) for the whim of the industry – she was taking one long drawn out pot-shot at the lifestyle and the hype, and the irony is that a huge portion of her fans like her for the style she mocks and not the derision itself.

Of course I could also be very mistaken. For her part, Gaga is not shedding much light either way except to say “The Fame is about how anyone can feel famous”… Sounds like psychobabble to me.

After I had just begun to settle in with Lady Gaga, her fans became rabid. Play after play echoed across the airwaves in a never ending Gagafest that made even the most enlightened partaker lose all mirth at the absurdity of it all. By this point I had acquired the album and had played it regularly, but certainly not every five minutes as a leisure trip to Las Vegas would see. She was everywhere – and I mean EVERYWHERE. The satellite radio in our rental couldn’t go for more than 15 minutes without taking a Lady Gaga hit, and soundtracks across the city for everything from the shops to the restaurants were loaded with at least three Gaga track. It was enough to swear off of her for good… Or at least take a significant break which I needed to do prior to writing this piece.

The music itself is nearly perfect for danceable pop. Aptly named “Just Dance” and “Poker Face” are the most club worthy – and are coincidentally nearly identically constructed songs – but other beat-maintaining notables are “I Like It Rough” and “Starstruck.” The ludicrous lyrics of virtually every piece are theoretical testament to the satirical nature of the album, and the music videos are more often funny than purely artistic. The video for “Poker Face,” for instance, appears to use costumes from prominent Final Fantasy scenes lending a geeky overtone to an otherwise typically lusty song.

What to take away…

Lady Gaga is one of those top 40 artists that seems to simply polarize listeners. Love her or hate her (or both) I would recommend seeing a few music videos and paying attention to the words she uses before dismissing her for all time. Once you begin to see the farce that I fully believe she spins, the album becomes a lot more enjoyable.

What should you expect?

Classic adult pop with a bit more electronic than is customary. She has undeniably sexual tones throughout the album with a lot of it being broad innuendo.

What drink would she pair with?

Cranberry and vodka – a staple cocktail of clubs everywhere.

Favorite song?

I’m a sucker for “Just Dance” – the wit in it is better concealed than some of the other songs, and it otherwise is simply a good dance song. I just can’t say no to a song that makes me unconsciously head-bob.